The state’s unemployment rate fell to 5.9 percent from 6 percent in September, and was below October 2015’s 6.5 percent. The number of workers and people reporting jobs rose strongly, and people unemployed fell below 75,000 for the first time since 2004.

Mississippi payrolls dipped below last year’s level, a warning of economic weakness. That separate payroll survey, used by many economists as their top labor market indicator, fell slightly to 1.14 million.

The U.S. Labor Department released both sets of figures Friday, adjusted to cancel out seasonal changes.

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This story has been corrected to show Mississippi had the fifth-highest jobless rate among states in October, not September.